`Lifting cotton export ban by Govt is cheating`

Ahmedabad: Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi termed the Centre`s announcement about lifting
of cotton export ban as "cheating the farmers of the country".

"The notification issued today by the Union Commerce
Ministry on reversal of ban of cotton exports is cheating
lakhs of cotton-growing farmers of the state," Modi said
tonight.

"The notification says that the Centre will not give
any new registration certificates for export of cotton. Not
only that, it would also investigate the export of the
commodity earlier, incorporating a clause that the
registration, allowed earlier, has to be reinvestigated with
no time-frame," Modi said.

"This new monitoring system will open doors to
corruption," Modi further said.

Targetting the opposition Congress for "trying to cash
in on the withdrawal of ban", Modi said, "Congress leaders
here have been terming the withdrawal of ban on exports of
cotton as one of their major achievements. But in reality, they
are participants in cheating the farmers of Gujarat and the
country."

"It has also exposed the lies of AICC political
secretary Ahmed Patel and other Congress leaders from Gujarat
that the so-called ban on export was lifted by Union Commerce
Minister Anand Sharma at their behest," Modi said.

"I had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, warning him that there was a nexus working for ban on
cotton exports. However, instead of taking a firm step against
such nexus, he has given the duty to a group of ministers. And
today`s notification makes it clear that the Congress is hand
in glove with such elements," Modi further alleged.

"It was only after the entire cotton supply chain of
Gujarat, starting from farmers and market yards to ginners`
association collectively threatened an indefinite strike that
the government allowed the lie to circulate, to give an
impression that the ban has been lifted," he said.

"It was a lie to mislead the farmers and common man.
Gujarat farmers would not take this cheating by the Congress
led Central Government lying down," Modi further said.